Apple just made it easier for users to do their own repairs. With its Self Service Repair program, Apple will let you repair products using official Apple parts and tools.
The service will be available in early 2022 in the US and will initially be able to fix an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, with M1-based Macs eligible afterward.
During the first “phase” of Self Service Repair, core components such as the battery, camera, and display will be available, with other parts becoming available later.Through an online self service repair store, Apple will provide customers with a repair manual, after which they can order the relevant parts.
The company did not disclose the price of parts, but it did offer credits to customers who return used parts to be recycled.
As expected, Apple stressed the program is aimed at people with experience repairing electronics. Apple stores or authorized providers still offer better service for a “vast majority” of people.
It’s unclear what prompted the company to allow self-service, but the move may have been in response to government pressure. In addition to the White House and the FTC, several states have backed right-to-repair measures that could compel Apple and other companies to allow repairs.
By doing this, anyone skilled at fixing an apple device can do so without needing unofficial parts, which theoretically will eliminate some of the major complaints.
There are still a few unanswered questions.
- Would there be a competitive price for parts that will make Self Service Repair a viable alternative to professional help?
- Is Apple planning to update its product designs to make these repairs more convenient?
Although there are hints of these changes, such as a relaxed policy on iPhone 13 display repairs and iPhone 13 batteries that are easy to remove, we wouldn’t expect simple solutions anytime soon.